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CNN Live Sunday

Israelis, Palestinians Plan Meeting

Aired March 10, 2002 - 17:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the crisis in the Middle East. After a week of extraordinary violence in the region, Israeli and Palestinian officials are planning an immediate meeting. CNN's Mike Hanna reports on the upcoming talks and the relentless bloodshed that has prompted this action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Amidst the swirling violence, there is a glimmer, the slightest glimmer of movement on the diplomatic front. CNN can confirm that within the next 24 hours, there will be a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian political leaders, including Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat. Also in coming days, it's believed there will be a meeting at a security level between Israelis and Palestinians, this apparently paving the way for the visit by special U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni to the region before the end of the week.

Now, these moves follow intense violence that has been ongoing for days, reaching a climax perhaps overnight in Jerusalem, when a suicide bombing attack killed 11 Israelis at a popular cafe in Jerusalem proper. Dozens of Israelis were injured in that attack. This attack followed hard on the heels of an attack by Palestinian gunmen in the seaside city of Netanya. There, two Israeli, including a nine-month-old baby, were killed.

But throughout Sunday, there have been Israeli strikes in various parts of the West Bank and Gaza. The most significant strike, in symbolic terms at least, the complete destruction of Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Gaza City. This two-story building has stood as a symbol of the Palestinian Authority. It was a place at which Arafat had welcomed heads of state, among them U.S. President Bill Clinton. So a strike directly at the Palestinian Authority there by the Israeli military forces who destroyed the building in a missile attack.

Also, various strikes in other parts of the West Bank and Gaza, as the violence continued not at quite a level as it has been in recent days. But certainly, no end of let-up, no sign of any let-up in this ongoing conflict.

But in days to come, Zinni arriving in the region, and as I said, the faintest signs perhaps that there may be movement to pave the way for Zinni's primary mission, and that is to get a cease-fire on the ground, attempting to succeed where on two previous missions to the regions he has failed dismally.

Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.

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